Leicester stars inspire at Activity Alliance supported event
A group of apprentices were joined for a coaching session by two Leicester City Men's first team players as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
Ten young future coaches, all part of the Coach Core programme, were joined by the duo at Soar Valley Leisure Centre in Mountsorrel. The session focused on inclusive activity, with Activity Alliance Programmes Administrator Alex Giles in attendance to assist.
He supported the group, offering advice and best practice when it comes to inclusive coaching. He delivered a different perspective, highlighting the need to focus on what participants bring to the table as a person, not simply on their impairment.
“Seeing such passion for inclusive activity was amazing” he said.
“To have such high-profile footballers get involved was a huge boost to the group of apprentices. They learned a huge amount from them and are sure to remember this for years to come.
“It’s vital that our future coaches are able to support anyone who wants to be active, so making sure they know how to deliver inclusive sessions is so important.”
Coach Core is an employment and education charity, working in partnership with Leicester City in the Community. They use sports-based apprenticeships to target young people not in employment, education or training.
In total, Leicester City has invested over £130,000 of apprenticeship levy into the Leicestershire Coach Core network, led by Active Together, which has supported the employment of 16 sport and health apprentices across nine different employers.
Active Together has used Activity Alliance’s Inclusive Activity Programme (IAP) to ensure inclusive coaching practice is at the heart of its work. IAP is a learning package designed to support people to make physical activity more inclusive for disabled people.
The session included wheelchair basketball and handball activities before Faes and Nelson gave advice on various coaching techniques as well as insights into their careers.
Speaking to LCFC.com, Faes said:
"It was a pleasure to meet these young individuals who are passionate about pursuing a career in coaching. I hope that our insights and experiences can inspire them to achieve their goals and make a positive impact in the world of sport.
"Being able to share our knowledge with them was fantastic. It's important to support young talent and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. I'm glad we could contribute to their development."
Find out more about Activity Alliance’s Inclusive Activity Programme on our website.
